Aerostat



(N0 Mod e1) 5 Sheets-Sheet 1.

M. H. BALDWIN.

AEROSTAT.

No. 423,980. Patented Mar. 25, 1890.

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(NoModeL) 5 SheebS- -Sheet 2. M. H. BALDWIN.

AEROSTAT.

No. 423,980. Patented Mar. 25, 1890.

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(No Model.) 5 Sheets-Sheet a. M. H. BALDWIN.

AEROSTAT. No. 423,980. Patented Mar. 25, 1890.

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4 M. H. BALDWIN AEROSTAT, No. 423,980. Patented Mr..25, 18 90.

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UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

MATTHIAS H. BALDW'IN, OF MEMPHIS, TENNESSEE.

AEROSTAT.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 423,980, dated March 25, 1890. Application filed October 29, 1888. Renewcd February 5, 1890. Serial No. 339,219- (No model.)

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, MATTHIAS H. BALDWIN, a citizen of the United States, residing at Memphis, in the county of Shelby, State of Tennessee, have invented new and useful Improvements in Aerostats, by which I mean a machine or device for navigating or flying through the air, of which the following is a specification.

The object of my invention is to provide a simple rotary movement of wings or winged wheels operating in connection with the form of aerostat or air-ship to produce a lifting and propelling effect similar to that produced by the stroke or movement of a birds wing in flying.

In-the accompanying drawings, representing my air-ship, Figure l is a side elevation of the device embodying my invention. Fig. 2 is a front end elevation. Fig. 8 is a vertical cross-section through the engine or motor. Fig. 4: is a vertical cross-section through the front cabin or coach. Fig. 5 is a top View with a part of the upper canopy or kite and a portion of the deck of the coach broken away to show the disposition of the one gang of wings and the location of the engine-room and other apartments of the car or coach. The following drawings to an enlarged scale are respectively: Fig. 6 is an outsideelevation of a part of the side wings and shaft, showing their construction, character, and disposition, together with gearing and device for shifting and reversing the wing-sections, &c. Fig. 7 is a top view of the same, and Fig. 7 a is an inside elevation of away-gate to the duplex rear cam. Fig. 8 is a perspective view of the air-ship, giving a general idea of its general parts, form, and appearance while in flight.

My aerostat or air-ship proper consists of a boat shaped car or coach a, with parallel perpendicular sides rounded or sloping in to the keel at the bottom, as shown in Figs. 2 and 4,

the ends rounded or pointed to be close sheeted or covered outside with wood or other strong light material and decked over on top, as shown in Fig. 4. The interior is divided into three or more apartments 1) c d, with doors, Windows, 850., the center apartment containing the motor, the other rooms being for passengers, baggage, the. Above this car or coach is a large kite-shaped canopy B, extending out over the sides and ends of the coach, which is suspended below and rigidly attached to it by rods 6 and the lip-extending sides f (see Fig. 8) of the coach, as shown in the ac companying drawings. The whole is secured strongly, being trussed and braced with steel rods and wires.

The kite-canopy is a strong light frame work of wood or metal. To the under side of this will be secured a light open wirework, (not shown,) and against the under side of this a covering g, of strong canvas or sailcloth or other strong close textile fabric properly prepared. The purpose of this kite or canopy is, first, to give poise and steadiness to the ship in its passage through the air, and that its course maybe controlled and directed upward or downward by the horizontal rudder h at the tail or rear end of the kite-canopy; secondly, it acts in the capacity of a parachute in case of accident to the motor or machinery, its area or expanse being such that should anything occur to stop the elevating mechanism while in mid-air the shipcould not fall or descend with suflicient force or velocity todo serious damage to life or property.

The space between the deck of the coach and canopy above will in height be equal to about half the height of the entire ship. The sides of this space are partly closed by the Lip-extending sides of the coach. The ends are open. In this space on the deck of the coach is located the steering apparatus wheels or levers, as may be found most convenient-with lines connecting with the rudders at the rear. Here will also be stationed the pilot and lookout.

Along each side of the air-ship are parallel shafts S, to which are attached a series of wings 7, made to revolve by the motor located in the car. These wings are constructed in sections, with blades w w pivoted at the ends. These blades are made to open and close automatically as the wings revolve by the mechanical contrivance, and for a purpose fully describedin the following specification.

Now, having given a general description of the various parts of my invention, I will proceed to describe more particularly the machinery, motor, (to, and the various mechanical operations.

For motor power a gas, steam, or hot-air engine may be used or such other motor as may be found better adapted to the purpose. Of the motors at present known and now in use it is probable that a gas-engine answers the purpose on account of the lightness of fuel and for other reasons not necessary to mention here. A rotary engine of very simple construction is all that is required, and if a gas-engine can or could be constructed to work on this principle it would answer the purpose admirably, as all changes for stopping, ascending, or descending are made in the machinery outside of the motor. No reverse movement will be required.

Above the engine or motor is a counten shaft 2', with pulleys I. This is connected with and made to revolve by the motor M, and from this the wing-shafts S are driven or made to revolve by means of chain belts 70, running over the pulleys P on the main or wing shafts, as shown in the drawings, or the rotary movement may be communicated to the wing-shaft by means of a cross-shaft with beveled gearing on the outer ends engaging with corresponding gearing on the wingshafts, or by such other mechanical device as may be found more suitable or better adapted to the purpose. These wing-shafts extend the entire length of the car or coach on both sides and are supported and carried on four strong arms or beams Z, that run across the top of the coach 011 a line with the deck, extending out the proper distance on each side for the boxes and journals of the wing-shafts. These wing-shafts S are made in sections on m and coupled'together rigidly, thus forming one continuous line of shaft the entire length of the car on both sides. The parts or sections which carry the wings are of light open frame-work made strong and rigid by a system of rods and braces. (Shown in Figs. 6 and 7.) The wings proper, of which there are eight in all or four pairs, two pairs on each side, are carried by strong arms which extend across and out from opposite sides of the win g-shafts. Between these arms on opposite sides of the shafts are the wings proper IV. These wings are made in blades 20 w to, Fig. 1, each section being secured rigidly to a rod, which I will call a rock-shaft f. These rock-shafts with their wing-sections attached extend across the wings at right angle to the line of the main shaft and are pivoted in the frame at each end. These shafts have at the end next the center or main shaft a slotted crank 0, Figs. 6 and 7, which is-connected with a pin to the bar J. This bar has its end next to the center or inside beam, as at 15, formed to embrace or hook over the edge of a disk-cam H, the periphery of which is so molded or curved that as the wing-shaft revolves, carrying the bar J with it, and the clutch following the curved oblique edge of the cam causes the rod to move back and forth with each revolution, and with its crank-connection to the rock-shafts oscillates and causes the wing-sections to open and close like the slats of a window-blind. As the bar .I operates the wing-sections of the wings opposite to each other 011 the same shaft-that is, on opposite sides of the same shaft and revolving in the direction indicated by the arrows shown in section, Fig. 3--it is evident that when the sections of one wing are closed flat the sections of the opposite wing would be open or edgewise, and the cam is so adjusted that these wing-sections when revolving will be closed fiat while passing down on the outside part of their revolution and open or edgewise to the direction of the movement when they pass up on the inside movement.

The above description has reference more particularly to the forward pair of wings on both sides. The aft or rear wings are constructed and made to operate in a like manner, except that I use a duplex or twin cam I1 having a guide or groove to correspond exactly with the front cam II, and a second groove 15), exactly the reverse of it. Now, in order to explain the purpose of this double cam, I will here note that, while I depend mainly on the outside downward stroke of the closed wings for the uplifting and sus taining force or power, the horizontal or forward propelling force will be secured or effected by the oblique or inclined position which the blades or wing-sections will assume in their change from horizontal position in the downward passage to the open upward passage which will take place below and above and will occupy about one-third of the revolution. All needed forward movement or propelling-force is afforded in this way. If not, it can be easily increased by adjusting the wing-sections so as to increase it in their upward passage. Now, it is evident that if in changing the blades or sections of the wings they were all made to turn constantly the same way there would be a continual forward movement.

As it will be desirable sometimes to ascend or descend perpendicularly or to stand poised in the air over some particular spot or place without alightin g, this rear cam I1 Fig. 0, is constructed to accomplish this purpose by causing the stud or pin in the bar J 2 to trav erse the reverse groove in the duplex cam II, thus causing the sections of the rear wings in changing their positions to turn the opposite way from those of the front wings, and thus counteracting their disposition to propel forward. To effect this change of movement, the way-gate A, Fig. 7 is devised, located on the inside of the cam at the point of intersection or divergence of the opposite grooves.

By turning the gate one groove or way is closed and the other opened. This gate may be operated or turned byarod extending into the engine-room and provided with the usual crank or lever.

The rods J which oscillate the sections of the rear wings, are not connected to the rockshafts by cranks like those of the front wings, but have instead a rack 1" on the rod and segment of a toothed wheel R on the shaft f, as shown in Fig. 6. This is to allow the greater movement required in reversing the wing-sections or blades.

In order to give confidence to the persons in charge of the navigation of the air-ship, and also when heavy amounts of freight are to be carried, I may attach a balloon to the ship above the kite or canopy. hen I use a temporary balloon, I may fill it with natural gas and use the same as a fuel'until the supply is exhausted, and I may also inflate the balloon with the hot air and gas from the engine or motor. y I do not confine myself to the exact form and construction of my air-ship, as deviations therefrom within the scope of the invention would be readily suggested to a skilled mechanic from the foregoing descrip tion and the references.

I claim as my invention 1. An aerostat or air-ship having a pair of wings on each side revolving'in a direction at right angles to the direction of travel and provided with feathering-blades, one wing of each pair having its blades feathering in either direction to control the progress of the ship, substantially as set forth.

2. An aerostat or air-ship provided with wings revolving at substantially right angles to the direction of travel of the ship and having blades feathering in either direction, whereby the progress of the ship is controlled, substantially as set forth.

3. In an aerostat or air-ship, the combination of a shaft, wings with feathering-blades carried by said shaft, rods connecting the blades of each wing, a cam acting on the rod connecting the blades of one wing to feather them in one direction, and a duplex cam acting on the rod connecting the blades of the other wing, the said cam being provided with a gate to throw the rod and feather the blades in either direction, substantially as specified.

4. In an aerostat or air-ship, the combination,with a rotary shaft, of awing with feathering-blades, a rod connecting said blades, and a duplex cam engaging said rod and provided with a gate to cause the rod to move on either branch of the cam, substantially as specified.

MATTHIAS 1-1. BALDWIN.

Witnesses J. R. LONG, G. T. STEINKUHL. 

